Will Mike Collins Run for Lynn Westmoreland’s Seat?

Mike Collins, campaigning in 2014 in Gwinnett County. Photo: Jon RichardsOne possible candidate for Georgia’s third U.S. House district is Mike Collins, who was a candidate in the 10th district race to replace Paul Broun, and ended up losing to Jody Hice. Collins has reportedly indicated his interest in the race, and is considering his options. And no, the trucking company executive hasn’t relocated to the third district. There’s no legal requirement that a congressman live in the district they represent. Plus, Collins’s Butts County base is close to the district line.

The most important consideration, however, is that his father, Mack, represented much of the current third district when he was in Congress from 10993-2004. During the 10th district campaign, the elder Collins frequently accompanied his son on the trail.

During the 2014 campaign, Collins’s campaign was run by Brandon Phillips, the consultant who is now heading up Donald Trump’s campaign in the Peach State. Two other possible candidates in the race are Senators Mike Crane and Josh McKoon. Both Crane and McKoon are co-chairs for the Ted Cruz campaign. Should Collins retain Phillips for a second round, the campaigns could end up being a proxy war for the supporters of the two presidential candidates. And the chair of the Cruz campaign in Georgia is Jody Hice, the man Collins lost to in 2014.